When deciding what to wear to play paintball, the key is to keep as little skin exposed as possible. Paintballs can travel at speeds of up to 200mph, so it will be painful when it hits you. However, don’t be discouraged, paintball is an incredibly safe game and if you wear the correct gear, you will be protected.
It’s all about protection. More layers equal more protection as a defensive layer for your skin. Wear multiple layers to absorb the paintball’s impact, but make sure clothes are loose fitting and do not restrict your movement, as you will need to be agile too.
Paintballs are made from non-toxic, water-soluble, biodegradable materials and will wash out of your clothes and skin. However, you will get dirty during the game from paintballs as well as from climbing over terrain, crawling through forest, and rolling in mud, so wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
Think strategically. Wear dark colours and camouflage to stay hidden from the enemy. Softer materials are more likely to cause the paintball to bounce instead of break, keeping you in the game.
When playing paintball, this is what you should wear to the game centre:
Head – Your head can be vulnerable to hits, so wear a hat such as a beanie for extra protection underneath your paintball helmet.
Top – The best thing to remember when deciding what top to wear is to leave little skin exposed. Avoid short sleeves and opt for long-sleeved tops with thicker hoodies on top. Layer up and pack a raincoat to prepare for the weather.
Trousers – Wear loose-fitting tracksuit bottoms or joggers that you can run in. Try wearing a thin pair over the top of a thick pair to layer up for extra protection.
Footwear – Wear comfortable shoes that can run in and get dirty, such as old trainers. Ankle injuries are also common in paintball, so hiking boots that support the ankle and are easy to run in will also work well.
Gloves – hands are particularly sensitive areas which are constantly open to getting hit. Wear thick gloves to protect your hands, and don’t go for fingerless styles. Armoured gloves such as paintball gloves, football gloves or gardening gloves work best.
Kit We Provide You With
You will also be provided with an extra kit to provide extra safety and protection during the game. At BPF, we constantly invest in the very latest paintball equipment to ensure your safety:
11+ Paintball
Goggles – Goggles are the most important piece of kit as they protect your eyes from paintballs and need to be worn at all times during the game. Our goggles provide full head protection and cover the top, sides and back of the head.
Snood – The snood protects the forehead, throat, neck and ears, as these can be vulnerable areas.
Body Armour – Full body armour provides protection and padding to absorb the impact of incoming fire. Our armour covers the whole body to ensure you are well protected.
Overalls – Overalls provide an extra thick layer of protection over the top of your own clothes and are comfortable, durable and lightweight so you can stay stealthy. BPF’s overalls are in camouflage colours so you can stay hidden from the enemy.
Battle Belt – A battle belt fits comfortably around your waist so that you can carry extra accessible ammunition.
Paintball Gun – To play paintball, you need a paintball gun. Bawtry uses a Tippmann FT-12 Fliptop paintball machine gun, which is accurate, lightweight, easy to handle, reliable and robust. It’s the fastest gun on the market and fires eight balls per second. It fires 800 shots before it needs to be recharged with air.
Junior Paintball 9+ Years
Goggles – Goggles must be worn at all times to protect the eyes and face. We provide our players with full-head goggles that protect the head's top, sides and back from paintballs.
Body Armour – Body armour protects the whole body from painful hits by absorbing the impact of fire.
Camo Suit – A thick camo suit with a padded collar provides an extra layer of protection against fire and keeps you hidden in the game zone.
Paintball Gun – Younger paintball players are kitted out with lower impact guns to provide extra safety. We use an American Tippman FT50, which is smaller, lighter, easier to use, uses smaller paintballs, and fires with less force.
When playing paintball, remember that it’s all about protection, layering up, and leaving as little skin exposed as possible. Wear dark colours to stay hidden, loose-fitting items to stay stealthy, and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Wear a hat, long-sleeved tops, loose-fitting joggers, comfortable footwear, and thick gloves. You will be provided with safety goggles, the most important piece of kit to protect the eyes and head, a snood, overalls to protect your clothes, a battle belt for accessible ammo, armour to protect the body, and, of course, a gun. You’re now kitted out and ready to lead your team to victory.
